The field of the invention relates to audio control system components and more particularly to amplifier control modules capable of interfacing with an operating system. One design interfaces a Host computer with an amplifier control module using an operating system for sending and receiving serial data. The control module collects data and sends it to the operating system which monitors the data and, according to the associated programming, sends instructions back to the control module for implementation. In this system, the control module cannot operate independently from the Host computer. Instead, the control module monitors key circuits and sends data through the interface and up to the Host computer. The Host computer then processes the data and sends instructions through the interface and down to the control module.
One of the functions of the above described system relates to monitoring the audio amplifier input vs. output to determine if there is distortion in the signal. This function is achieved as follows: 1) an amplifier's input and output are measured by an input/output comparator (IOC) circuit, 2) the resulting signal is communicated to the control module, 3) the control module sends the data to a system interface device by an output line driver, 4) the serial data is then passed along a system communication bus, 5) through an interface, and 6) into a computer where the data is processed and then sent back to the control module along the previously described path in reverse order.
Accordingly, a great deal of control is lost if the communication bus is severed between the control module and the operating system.